Surveillance Gear (NowhereMash)
Common among police and spy agencies alike, this gear is necessary for all but the simplest surveillance jobs. Caller ID Defeater When a phone line contains a caller ID defeater, phones attempting to connect with that line show up as "anonymous" or "unavailable" on a caller ID. Such a call can still be traced as normal. Cellular Interceptor About the size of a small briefcase, a cellular interceptor can detect and monitor a cell phone conversation within a five-mile area by listening in on the cellular service's own transmitters. Intercepting the calls of a particular cell phone requires a Computer Use check (DC 35); if the phone number of the phone in question is known, the DC drops to 10. Obviously, the phone must be in use to intercept a call. A cellular interceptor cannot be used to intercept landline communications. Lineman's Buttset Resembling an oversized telephone handset with a numeric keypad on the back and wire leads hanging from the bottom, a lineman's buttset functions as a portable, reusable telephone line tap. With a Repair check (DC 10), a user can connect to a phone wire and hear any conversation that crosses it. A lineman's buttset is a common tool for telephone line repair personnel. Metal Detector A handheld security "wand" typically used by security services to screen for weapons at events and secure locations, such as airports or government buildings. A metal detector grants a +10 equipment bonus on all Perception checks involving metal objects. Night-Vision Goggles Night-vision goggles use passive light-gathering to improve vision in near-dark conditions. They grant the wearer darkvision, but the restricted field of view imposes a -4 penalty to all Perception checks made while wearing them. Night-vision goggles must have at least a little light to operate. A cloudy night provides sufficient ambient light, but a pitch-black cave or a sealed room doesn't. For situations of total darkness, the goggles come with an infrared illuminator that operates like a flashlight whose light is only visible to those with darkvision. Tap Detector A small electronic device for detecting telephone line taps, the tap detector allows the user to make a Computer Use check (the DC varies according to the type of telephone tap used; see below) to determine whether or not a tap is present. It does not indicate the type or location of the tap, however, and cannot be used to detect a lineman's buttset. Telephone Tap, Line This tap can be attached to a phone line at any point between a phone and the nearest junction box, usually on the street nearby. Installing it requires a Repair check (DC 15). It broadcasts all conversations on the line over a radio frequency that can be picked up by any professional two-way radio turned to the correct frequency. Detecting a line tap using a tap detector requires a Computer Use check (DC 25). Telephone Tap, Receiver This small bug can be easily slipped into a telephone handset as a Repair check (DC 5). It broadcasts all conversations over a radio frequency that can be picked up by any professional two-way radio tuned to the correct frequency. Detecting a receiver tap by using a tap detector requires a Computer Use check (DC 15). Telephone Line Tracer Essentially a highly specialized computer, a line tracer hooked to a phone line can trace phone calls made to that line, even if there's a caller ID defeater hooked up at the other end. Operating a line tracer is a full-round action requiring a Computer-Use check (DC 10). Success gains one digit of the target phone number, starting with the first number of the area code. Category:NowhereMash Category:NowhereMash Gear